The Bombay High Court on Monday asked the Maharashtra government to consider withdrawing an order passed by the Mumbai Suburban District Collector allotting 102 acres of saltpan land at Kanjurmarg for construction of a Metro car shed.
The Centre's Department of Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT) has written to the state government, saying the construction of the carshed on the Kanjurmarg site would be "against the interest of the Government of India", and claimed ownership of the 102 acre land.
The Centre and Maharashtra government are locked in a tussle over the latter's decision to shift the Mumbai Metro carshed project from Aarey Colony to the Kanjurmarg site.
The Union government has filed a petition in the High Court challenging the October 1, 2020, order passed by the Collector allotting the land for construction of the car shed, and said the land belongs to Centre's salt department. However, Maharashtra Environment and Tourism Minister Aditya Thackeray has reiterated that the land belongs to the state government and Shiv Sena Mayor Kishori Pednekar alleged that a conspiracy was being hatched against the state.
The court has posted the matter for further hearing on December 16.